Reinforced breast for sheet-metal receptacles.



L. STURGES. RBINFORGBD'BRBAST 'POR SHEET METALVRBGEPTAGLES.

APILIUATION FILED lAPH. 24, 1908.

Patented Dec. 8

LEE STURGES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

REINFORCED BREAST FOR SHEET-METAL RECEPTACLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

Application filed April 24, 1908. Serial No. 428,968.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, LEE STURGES, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of the city of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Reinforced Breasts forSheet-Metal Receptacles and Ido hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification'.

Heretofore in the construction of cans for shipping and handling milk,much "expense has been occasioned as well as loss in injury ordestruction of the cans owing to the empty cans being thrown into thecar for return to the shipper and the breast portion of the can, or moreparticularly the somewhat spherically convex upper portion of the canbeing caved in or indented, or even broken by the rough treatment suchreceptacles receive. This in practice has been found to be one of thefirst Lpoints where such receptacles give way, an prove defective, andvarious attempts have been made to strengthen the breast or top of thecan sufficiently to withstand such rough treatment and to prolong thelife of the can for the purpose of avoiding also the frequent andexpensive repairs occasioned by the structural weakness in this portion.Such devices, however, and ex edients have proven ineffective and haveailed to go into general use because of the considerable expenseentailed by the constructions heretofore used for that purpose andbecause also, of sometimes renderin the can unsanitary by affording areceptac e for dirt.

The object of this invention is to afford a can ofthe class describedhaving a reinforced breast rigidly and permanently secured thereto andunited therewith to afford a unitary construction and affording no openjoints for bacterial culture or dirt.

It is a further object of the invention to afford a reinforcement forthe breast of the can adapted to be .secured in lace without rivetingand not only to strengt en the breast of the can, but as well to afforda more rigidk rPhe invention consists in the mattershereinafterdescribed and more fully pointed out and defined in theappended claims.

As shown in the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a metallic canembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section of thesame before seaming the neck in place and before tinning. Fig. 3 is asimilar view taken after the neck seam is closed and after tinning.

As showiyin the drawings: A indicates the breast of a milk can offamiliar form and which is rigidly united to the body a, of the caninthe usual or any desired manner and is 4provided above the junction ofthe body and breast with a bumper bead a, of half round iron or otherstructural form to afford a reinforcement. Said breast as shown, issomewhat spherically concaved on the inner side and is provided with anaperture at its top to receive the end of the neck C, below the bead c.On said breast beside the lower end of the neck is a reinforcing concaveshell A', of heavy gage and which is, as shown, spherically concave, butwith less radius than the breast, so that said reinforcing shell bearsupon the periphery of the breast at a point intermediate the neck andthe bumper bead reinforcement, and affords a slight space between thebreast and the reinforcing shell above the lower edge of the latter.When so assembled, and the internal flange or end c of the neck isseamed, or rolled down, as shown in Fig. 3, said reinforcing shell ispinched or pressed downwardly in close contact with the brace forpractically its entire inner surface, thereby producing a very finebinding pressure for its entire circumference on its periphery on thebreast. The can so formed is then tinned both within and without, themolten tin flowing into the joints and drawing upwardly between thereinforcement and the breast, firml cements or solders the reinforcementand t e bead c, and inner flange c thereto, affording in effect aunitary structure and one in which no aperture or opening whateverbetween the reinforcement and breast or reinforcement, breast and neckis afforded for contamination.

The handles D, may be secured in any suitable manner upon the breast byriveting or otherwise and, of course, the reinforcement may extend toany desired point intermediate the neck and breast and may be of anydesired gage 0r thickness, and, if desired, maybesecuredinplacebymeansof thehandle CIT in addition to the soldering effect due to the tinningand the pinching eHect due to the closing of the seam in the neck.

Of course, numerous details of construction may be varied. i I'thereforedo not purpose limiting this application for patent otherwise thannecessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described a reinforcing breast for canbreasts embracing a layer of sheet metal engaged to the breast at thecan neck and covering the breast to a point intermediate the neck andbody a bead in the can neck and a flange integral with the neck adaptedto clamp the reinforcing breast and can breast therebetween.

2. A reinforcing breast for can breasts embracing a layer of sheet metalof different curvature than the can breast affording a spacetherebetween and clamped against the breast at the neck and thereinforcing breast sprung to conform to the curvature of the can breast.

3. A reinforcing breast for can breasts embracing a layer of sheet metalengaged to the breast by the can neck and extending down over andfitting to the breast and rigidly secured thereto intermediate the neckand can body.

4. A reinforcing breast for cans embracing a concave disk of sheet metalof less radius than the can breast and ada ted to be sprung inwardly andlocked to the breast by the can neck and extending down over andvrigidly secured to the breast by tinning.

5. In combination a can body, the spherically convex breast and the neckofa spherically concave reinforcing breast having less radius than thecan breast and engaged thereto, such engagement serving to spring thereinforcing breast into close bearing with the can breast at theperipheryof the former.

6. A spherically concave reinforcing breast for can breasts embracing alayer of sheet metal adapted to be engaged to the breast by the neck ofthe can and extendingv down and over and sprung into close fittingcontact with thebreast and a metallic lining for the reinforcing breastand can breast.

7. A can embracing a breast, a reinforcing breast and a neck havingabead and a fiange for securing the can breast and reinforcing breastrigidly together.

8. A can consisting of a body, a breast, a reinforcing breast of dierentcurvature than the breast adapted to conform to the curvature of thebreast and a neck securing the-inner ends of the breast and reinforcingbreast together.

9. A can embracing a body, a breast secured thereto, a reinforcingbreast fitted over the can breast, and a neck for the can provided witha bead to engage on the outer side of the reinforcing breast andprotruding into the can, said inwardly protruding end of the neckflanged beneath the can breast.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

LEE STURGES.

Witnesses:

C. W. HILLS, K. E. HANNAH.

